Trousers-stretcher.



R. B. LIDDLE. TROUSERS STRETOHER. APPLIGATION I-ILED APRQI, 1909.

' Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

ZZBWZa.

ANDREW Al GFAHAV co. PHOTO-UTNOGRAPNERS. WASHINGTON. D. c.

rren. v

ROBERT B. LIDDLE, OF MINAVILLE, NEW YORK.

TROUSERS-STRETCHER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT B. LIDDLE, citizen of the United States, residing at Mina-ville, in the county of Montgomery and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trousers- Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in garment stretchers and hangers, and the invention has for its object a simple and durable construction of trousers stretcher which is composed of comparatively few parts, that may be cheaply manufactured and easily assembled and which will serve to keep the trousers at their original length and in their original smooth condition, entirely free from wrinkles and from bagginess at the knees.

lVith this and other objects in View as will more fully appear as the description proceeds the invention consists in certain constructions and arrangements of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following descrip tion and accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a trousers stretcher constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof, portions of the bars being broken away and Fig. 3 is a front edge view. Fig. 4c is a horizontal sectional View on the line t- 1 of Fig. 2.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the head of my improved trousers stretcher, the same being of any desired size and shape and being formed with two longitudinally extending slots 2, which are preferably closed at one .end by the upper ends of the relatively stationary front bars 3, secured to the head by screws or similar fastening devices. 4: designates rear bars that are designed to coact with the corre-- spending front bars when inserted within the legs of the trousers to be stretched, all of these parts being preferably made of wood.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 7, 1909.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

Serial No. 488,478.

The lower ends of the bars 3 and 4 are preferably reinforced by metal sheathing 5 and spreaders 6 are interposed between the front and corresponding rear bars at the lower ends thereof, so as to spread said lower ends apart. I11 the present instance these spr-eaders 6 are in the form of bolts, having rigid bearing in one bar of each pair and received in sockets in the complementary bar of each pair, nuts 7, working on said bolts, and being thereby designed to move the lower ends of the corresponding front pairs against the tension of retracting members 8 that are in the form of springs or strips of elastic secured to the bars as shown. The upper ends of the rear bars extend upwardly through the slots 2 and work freely therein, being held at the desired distance from the upper ends of the relatively stationary front bars 3, by means of keys 9, that are adapted to be inserted to corresponding openings 10 formed in the head 1, and extending across the slots 2 in front of the rear bars, so as to hold them securely in place to exert the proper tension on the trousers at the upper portion thereof. Preferably the two keys 9 are connected together by a chain, 11.

The front and rear bars are beveled or tapered toward their outer edges as shown, so as to produce the proper creases in the leg portions of the trousers and such edges are preferably formed with the notches 12, whereby the cloth may be properly engaged to prevent any shrinking or movement in a longitudinal direction.

The head 1, is provided with a pin 13 de pending between the upper ends of the front bars 3, said pin being preferably formed on its rear edge with notches let and being designed to engage the upper or body portion of the trousers so as to compensate for the fullness thereof and hold the same properly stretched at the upper part as well as to prevent any twisting or sidewise displacement and thereby maintaining the trousers always in a position where the creases formed will be properly at front and back.

The entire device may be suspended from any suitable support by a hook 15 or the like secured to the head 1.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawing, it is believed that the operation of my improved trousers stretcher is obvious. In the preferred use of the device the trousers are drawn over the two pairs of corresponding front and rear bars 3 and 4 and the nuts 7 are turned to spread the lower ends of the bars while the upper ends of the bars are held spaced from each other by the keys 9 so as to exert the desired tension upon the trousers and hold the same in proper condition.

It is well known that the greatest fullness of trousers is in the body portion thereof, particularly around the waist line, and the pin 13 is provided in order that after the trousers legs have been slipped upwardly over the suspension front and rear bars 3 and 4 and properly stretched, the ends of the waist band may be connected together back of the pin 13 so as to take up the fullness at this point and hold the trousers so that the creases will be along the proper lines, both front and rear.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A trousers stretcher comprising a head formed with longitudinal slots, front bars connected at their upper ends to said head,

rear bars extending through said slots and adjustably connected at their lower ends to the front bars, the head being formed with a plurality of openings communicating with the slots, and keys adapted to extend through said openings to hold the upper ends of the rear bars spaced from the upper ends of the front bars.

2. A trousers stretcher having in combination front and rear bars, means for holding said bars in spaced relation to each other, and a pin fastened between said bars at the upper ends thereof, whereby the waist band of a pair of trousers may be secured back of said pin so as to tightly hold the body por' tion of the trousers and prevent same from slipping around.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT E. LIDDLE. fr. s1

\Vitn esses FRED J. CONRAD, MATTHEW DWYER. 

